video on demand. long. history. of your. column. here with r.t. as we are running down the top stories of today this week and says it's ready to assist peace talks in libya to end months of violence nato is sending combat advisors to the country in a move seen by analysts as the first step to a ground invasion. other top news of the week terror takes a blow police eliminated two high ranking militants in the north caucuses suspected links to deadly attacks here in moscow. and the massive

a gulf of mexico oil spill is sparking allegations and of court cases a year on but while those in charge play the blame game cleanup workers and coastal residents are starting to feel the health impacts of the disaster. ok next to discuss the plight of a u.s. soldier at the center of the wiki leaks scandal to stay with us. on april nineteenth the pentagon announced it would be moving private first class bradley manning from a military facility at quantico virginia to fort leavenworth kansas private manning is suspected of sharing secret documents with the whistle blowing web site wiki leaks and since that time he has been in custody nearly a year now he has been held mostly in solitary confinement that's no contact no communication no daylight for twenty three hours a day i manning himself has said in addition he has been forced at times to make it

criticisms against his treatment had been mounting and many say they simply want to know more want to hear it from manning himself i'm joined now by one man that is the un special rapporteur on torture cruel inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment one thank you so much for being with me today thank you for your protection and when you recently asked to have an unmonitored meeting with private manning what were you told ask to see breivik manning as far back as january and we've been in negotiations all conversations with the united states government since then. in march i was told that i could see him if manning asked to see me but that it would be in a situation of which the. visit could be monitored and i. told us that i cannot accept those terms because of the rules.

we operate under the immigrates counsel of the united nations we're supposed to be able to meet with the people we want to meet in without witnesses nevertheless i told through his lawyer i told private manning that if he still wanted to see me he was he should ask for me and i'll try and come and see. in the meantime i insisted with the u.s. government that i want to see him without being monitored and now that there's been an announcement of his transfer to fort leavenworth. and the announcement also seems to indicate some change in his regimen that he's subjected to i am hoping that it will be possible to see him in conditions that i can accept. i'm wondering if you think that there's a connection at all between sort of this increased criticism this increased media attention and the decision to move private manning i mean the pentagon says no but

these facilities certainly are much different he will potentially be able to eat with other prisoners to have contacts to see television events or read books do you think that there is a connection well as you said the pentagon is saying that this is a routine change after one year of incarceration. as far as i'm concerned i want to see what the new. conditions are but i'm also interested in what the conditions that he's leaving have been in detail because i have some references to it but i want to hear from him exactly what it is and i'm also asking the united states government for more information about things like the precise regimen that he was subjected to and the one he will be subjected to when he gets to fort leavenworth but also. by who saw it already who ordered it for what reason for what purpose all of those things are very important to me in order to make

a judgment as to whether. the treatment constitutes cruel inhuman and degrading treatment or even worse could be could even constitute torture and some have even told that what's been going on are for this last year with bradley manning they've called it you know the and of habeas corpus do you agree with that. i haven't inquired as to whether he has a right to the writ of habeas corpus because my. my remit is limited to the conditions of detention not whether he should be detained or not. maybe another special rapporteur or working group in united nations would be interested in that obviously human rights. norms include a fair trial that cetera. but in my case limited by my mandate and that is you know whether his conditions of detention amount to cruel inhuman and degrading treatment

and it makes total sense to me at least that you would need to see him and you would need to see him on monitored but we did see a lot of that he wrote that was published that sort of detailed some of the treatment some of his daily activities that included those twenty three hours during the day he was asked every five minutes are you ok so he couldn't just sit there and answer also this business about him you know having to sleep naked if all of this is true what would that mean for your job and your decision well obviously i'm interested in this matter because any time a geisha is made about solitary confinement it raises a flag if you will. under the convention against torture for which the united states is a signatory as you know so i had to find out but evidently. different people mean different things by the word solitary confinement and i need to know every detail how many how many times was he and how often.

he was asked to get rid of his underwear for what reason. we have to understand you know whether there's been any kind of rationale for the treaty but suffice to say for now that i am very interested in getting to the bottom of this and making my own judgment as of now i can only say that i'm interested i cannot disclose the contents of my conversations with the united states government except to confirm that i'm interested. you know what bradley manning has brought the subject of solitary confinement to light but from what i understand there are more than twenty five thousand people in this country alone being held in solitary confinement right now a lot of people when they think about solitary confinement they think you know all these prisoners are danger are a danger to other prisoners and that's why they're held in solitary but so many times and maybe even more often than not that's not the case and it just seems to be a form of punishment for whatever reason can you speak to this about solitary confinement

in general as it relates to trucks or or treatment the definition of torture and of cruel inhuman and degrading treatment. starts from the premise that somebody is suffering. there's pain and suffering of certain severity and that is not incidental to a legitimate punishment. if it grazes to assert thing very deep then it becomes cruel inhuman and degrading treatment in your field goes on beyond that's a very it can constitute torture so first we have to understand what kind of harm. a person. solitary confinement. is suffering. it's it's easy to see. you know. no one can go through that experience without suffering some kind of psychological or mental harm now then you have to still find out whether there's any justification for. i am familiar of

course with the numbers in fact. i understand that the numbers are even higher than that of people who for disciplinary reserves are kept in solitary confinement in jails in the united states and quite frankly elsewhere as well so i am very interested in solitary confinement i want to know under what conditions it can become cruel inhuman and degrading treatment or torture and for that i need to know . a lot more about what we mean by what kind of palliative measures are taken you know for example it's not the same to be in solitary confinement and not have any access to radio or t.v. or newspapers or writing material to let's send letters home. but you know you have to put it all together and then make a judgment as to whether even under those circumstances with some of those palliatives it still is unreasonable and therefore cruel it is hard because we have

these words cruel inhuman and those almost need to be defined so much more specifically i guess that's their job is it is my job and unfortunately has to be defined in both objective and subjective criteria because it's not the same to put somebody in solitary confinement for one day and to put him or her there for months it's not the same to put you know a relatively healthy young male twenty five years old for three days or put someone in those situations for three days who is infirm or sick or prone to depression so you have to see all of those conditions before you make a judgment whether some kind of so very threshold has been crossed you know i know you're fairly new to this job but i'm wondering what impact one's hanum obey and the treatment that we are learning about prisoners there what impact that has on

your job well i mean we're i'm also very interesting one tunnel more my predecessor had asked to visit one phantom or the bush administration after some time allowed him but on conditions that he could not accept and so when i became the special rapporteur and toward last november i renewed my request to the no to the obama administration that i wanted to visit one final and i'm hoping that will be answered. they haven't answered yet but when they do answer they give me conditions that i can accept. we are negotiating that so i can't say what's going to happen but. i think. if i understand correctly conditions in one thousand will have changed. have changed enough or not is a different question but they're not what they were in two thousand and four when no right to ask for permission to visit and so i'm hoping. about my administration

will have. a more constructive. response to my request do you trust the obama administration well as a special rapporteur i have jurisdiction over one hundred ninety countries i don't trust or distrust any government they just deal with them in the same way and and yes i. from the premise depart from the premise that all governments have to live up to their obligations under international law just one more question for you i know that in the past you have called for the united states to investigate and prosecute torture committed under the former president george w. bush and a lot of people seem to say you know it's in the past let's not reopen old wounds this will get in the way of you know national unity it will our maybe make our reputation abroad much worse based on what comes out of that where how do you respond to that well the torture convention international law more generally

makes it an obligation of the state to investigate and prosecute every single act of torture in that case in that sense culture is different torture is a special case of human rights for the actions of even a single episode of torture elicits the obligation of the state to investigate prosecute and punish obviously punish if there is merit to punish but so i have repeatedly called not only the united states government but there. the other government to live up to that obligation. i don't think. these are crimes that can be swept under the rug and pretend that they didn't happen and if that's. so for people who think that that will enhance the reputation of the united states abroad that's exactly the opposite of what will happen in the united states and in all other countries to live up to their human rights of league ations of one of them is to investigate torture so i think this has to happen here as well

bringing it to light that perhaps something's not. all right i want to thank you so much for joining me one mendez the un special rapporteur on cruel inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment thank you very much a pleasure to be here. in indonesia oh geez available in the ground you sure to media the ritz carlton hotel who took the children the millennium hotel in chile you can see on t.v. censored. rocks hotel my car grown to be. there when the show marco resource hotel

was sort of the so. resorts michael's closer to home the riviera hotel in the central hotel mccann. recovering the headlines of today this week. moscow says it's ready to assist peace talks in libya to end months of parlance meanwhile the nato is sending combat advisors to the country in a move seen by analysts as the first step to a ground invasion. had another talk news over this week takes a blow police eliminated two high ranking militants in the north caucuses suspected links to deadly attacks here in moscow. at the massive gulf of mexico oil spill those allegations and court cases a year on while those in charge play the blame game or cleanup workers on the

coastal residents are starting to feel the health impact of the disaster. tom now for the sports with kate. hello welcome to the sports news on this easter sunday and here are the top stories leading battles you need to beat three males who are getting top spot in the russian prime elite aftertaste struggling told him. while the best approach got a legal road his luck to stay on course for the world number one ranking. another milestone rafael nadal wins the five hundredth much of his career said this sunday's all spanish final and also over. let's kick off for the russian premier league where champions of each have regained top spot after they won three now at times it really is a bit of alexander there's a golf open for the high side after eleven minutes and franco loves a bit of a late second half brace to give the defending champions

a comfortable victory. now have a one in four games after being held one one in a gritty i'm hungry i'm caught alexander the sunset struck for the home side just before half time but a man shot almost through his own net of the fifty seven minutes and is like much bottom side spartak moscow will look to lift themselves off the course of the table and they have spot on. well earlier this guy missed the chance to retain top spot after they were held to a surprise one one draw at lowly tone city do get open for the army men after twenty seven minutes. but seem new vehicle for their one zone to beat the visitors defense level just before they are. the second. to the bottom so. well and stuff they knew it was her van began there right at the top one there were no gold at the top click with the goal eighteen minutes from time great stance this season for their manager from a chelsea player down to tresco described the match and the science toughest test

so far. but it's well documented you heard after their four win across parts of the match the railway men who. only scored once the last three games. in that tally and this is the first early on for. i get to know. there's more of the same the second half a powerful effort from nothing have made it three no need to secure it the most is a defending was a consolation. and we'll have what we want to go this harry finished. route when this is the pressure is direct sunlight of thoughts from boston after their one nil defeat at last off the game were settled by thirty fifth. and i have chopped down to me she could have changed but i got lucky at converting the spot kick. and then when she dies you need just seven more points from four match instantly a record nineteen top flight title after saturday's late one know when it's time to

have it and gave him a six point lead over chelsea have a hand on this with a vital thirty minutes strike at stamford bridge fernando torres finally playing his first goal for chelsea in their three no one ever rock bottom right hand saw him fail to leapfrog manchester city ins of all sports after being held to two hundred two restaurants actually rodriguez scored a hat trick as liverpool thought birmingham five nil aston villa and stoke share the spoils and sightsee of newcastle and blackpool estate just above the relegation zone however the fact it is our wigan who lost to sunderland and striving to lose for them. they also could also go within six points of united with victory bolton the gunners are unbeaten in sixteen games that have won only three of their last nine which is seen and slipped to third in the table however a win would just about keep them inside the race is lost and still have to play united next sunday. and we want to monday fourth place not just if you travel to struggling blackburn as a trace of champions league sports city again miss carlos tevez and victor richards

hughton hamstring injuries and have a matches away matches what is wrong sixteen straight rovers without a win in. meanwhile barcelona zero messi has become the first player to score fifty goals in a spanish season as his side retained eight point lead at the top of the legality five games to go islam not spiking with three minutes ago falling for his first half goal to get past him to know where i was seeing that nearest rivals relevant race front that i would see a six three runs on again for the visitors and rest of this after the two one win by the way i also see that. basketball now and simply have won the all russian v.t. be united league final against after the tournament and has on got together the best sides in scandinavia and eastern europe he won the final sixty six points to sixty four question i love chart top scored for them eighteen points and five rebounds and that helped his side overcome

a determined we were going to have at the start of the last period jr holden and john gordon both school fifteen points but they are men but that wasn't enough. but to go as it was a difficult match c.s.k. proved to be a strong contend with very strong players but today we were very good in the defense and moved a lot and because their team plays a much older we were faster and were running more. and this year saw the start of the professional basketball league here in russia one of the main differences between the new regime and its predecessor the super league is the number of international athletes who are now plying their trade here. caught up with three of them. american tragedy lang's and is no stranger to titles and here are just a few from a six year ten year at moscow says scarred for life time shared in a russia to try and euro league champion plastic and positions most valuable player

in two thousand and eight and two time champion of the newly created united the g.b. league but basketball wars are not. the only discovery is made in russia as langdon is now married to a local girl and they already have a son to put it simply and most has become his second home hours or more intrigued by the culture was going to be here by the people by the history or so much about the right was a great power. for them to try to go to look for museums talk to people for the language of the four. for me it's going to create spread around a lot as has been the moscow region's he since two thousand and nine shortly after his native spain won the olympic silver at the two thousand and eight summer games in beijing just a year later he helped his country prove its dominance of the euro basket becoming the latest champions so rolls incredible international records plus his three year n.b.a. stated the u.s. are jazz brought invaluable experience to his current side before you know it's it

was more like. the risible teams are. would put pressure on and on like now you know i feel like this business is like. in cannes you know every night you play against. you know they have great players australia's look neville is probably one of the most exotic imports to the russian professional basketball league though he's already tried his luck in the united states and returned to melbourne this move to russia meant he wants to make his way back to the highest level of the game his current side triumph from the moscow region are not having the best of seasons at the moment but it's still a work in progress as neville is brought up to speed with the european style of the game i am it was it was there when i thought the russia going to stray was a stray i was you know different. with the games i play. the system runs here in russia it's not

a pick and rolls in europe screens. you know you know has no coaches me running around all the time. russian basketball went through a massive overhaul last season and is just starting to climb out of the slump however the professional league remains actually active to foreign talents as athletes continue to flock to russia all over the world remark austrian parity moscow. meanwhile there's a two way race some to become the new world number one in the gulf england's lee westwood is in line to take top spot from german martin kyra after winning the indonesian masters but luke donald could himself end up at the summit if he wins in south carolina after the englishman wrote his luck to take a one shot lead into the final round of the heritage donald is third in the world at the moment and his announcement rounds didn't set off to the best of starts his ball bouncing out of bounds just a second hole and supple bogey here seen him briefly lose the lead but that's our

by the time he reached the turn and we found his form with one under par seventy as was round of the twenty or so far however he was still a short ahead after fending fearing the american mr part apart on the last hole his chances of top of the leaderboard at the end of day three. i mean while tennis world number one rafael nadal is looking to beat fellows by david ferrer in a final for the second week in a row let's do a battling to take the boss alone open title after his all beat his competitors in last week's monte carlo masters i know twenty four year old and all reached a landmark of five hundred victories by beating in the semifinals the spine it was the second youngest to reach such milestone after beyond paul did it when he was twenty two eight hundred dollars again for his thirty fourth win in a row on clay as he takes on fair personal matter in the last for. a while the women's world number one caroline wozniacki is a major player in perth all tied with

a season she takes on germany's gurgles in the final of the stuttgart gone prix. and finally the real figure skating chad. in ships' well i'm here in moscow on monday the biggest annual skating event was moved to russia following the devastating earthquake that affected the original venue will take you know russia staging the world take that stage in championships for the third time but this time there's a change in venue it's a tough challenge for the organizers and managed to prepare everything in just one month public excitement in moscow is higher than it is and some two percent of the tickets already sold so for houses are expected in the desert storm and sport the absence of russia's biggest art with inclusion is balanced by international space and this year the total prize money will be seven hundred ten thousand dollars for schools and five thousand each for the men's and ladies when is the pez will get sixty seven thousand five hundred however the contenders will face stiff competition as all four writing world champions are back on the ice i'm determined to defend that scientists. and that's all the sports news.

coming to. the russian republic blends historic diversity with economic diversification oil drilling industry pushes for tomorrow's petrochemical products traditionally listen to this is the one on my list of government experience to cleanse by going online to understand the whole discussion of vision on technology update we've got the future however.